Patriotism according to Webster's Dictionary :" love for or devotion to one's country". This love of one country is at the heart of what is currently happening to the United States of America. How you may ask? I will attempt to demonstrate my hypothesis below.
In the past, say 1950s, for the most part patriotism was practiced by the majority of United States Companies and Citizens. This was shown in numerous ways. Companies paid taxes in 1950 of 47%. ( http://www.taxpolicycenter.org/legislation/1950.cfm ). I will not dispute that many of these same companies used any and all loopholes that they could find to pay less. I will argue instead that for the majority of these companies, they paid and pushed a philosophy of the greatness of the United States. They bragged, if you will, of the benefits of being in the United States. I suggest for the most part these companies felt it a civic duty to support the United States infrastructure, that most of them used daily.
Then along came a President called Ronald Reagan. Who, to some in the United States, is considered a political figure to be idolized. This President whom I will now admit I voted for, not once, but twice, is one that was a great speaker but some of his policies that he supported are far from idolized material. The infamous "Trickledown theory of economics" definition from,
http://www.investopedia.com/terms/t/trickledowntheory.asp#axzz1X7GIZGDC
What Does Trickle Down Theory Mean?
(An economic theory which states that investing money in companies and giving them tax breaks is the best way to stimulate the economy.)
Let us not forget the great deinstitutionalization of the United States.( http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/deinstitutionalize , "de ·in ·sti ·tu ·tion ·al ·i ·za ·tion) The release of institutionalized people, especially mental health patients, from an institution for placement and care in the community."
These two policies have helped wreak havoc on the United States. The first policy "The Trickle Down Theory" has, after over 30 years, been proven to be a failed policy. The money once at the top stayed at the top. The theory of "Job Creators" has proved to be a falsehood. This was a nice dream, but reality shows that this does not occur. If you doubt it, take a look around here in the United States of America. Where is all of the economic stimulation and JOBS?
The result? A more divided social economic status with very few having the majority of the income. This we all know, for we are living in the effects of it currently. Why did this occur? I say that is a steady decline of Patriotism. This created a void, if you will, for society. Those at the top had no problem filling that void, for they were reaping numerous monetary gains from the GOP backed "Trickle Down Theory". They did not create jobs, and as the decline of patriotism continued, they replaced it with a very powerful desire GREED. They have been feeding this desire with more gusto each year.
This greed and lack of patriotism has resulted in Companies, based in the United States, giving off an air of said company is greater than the United States. They create jobs alright, but not for the benefit of Patriotic American workers. They chant the motto of "Free Market" as they fire workers and close down whole business sites and build and hire workers in other countries. This is all done using offshore accounts to circumvent paying taxes for the use of the United States Infrastructure, to further fill their almost uncontrollable need for money.
Wall Street is an extreme example of the total lack of patriotism. They are the primary ones that scream Free Market, lack of Government regulation is never mentioned, love of the United States. They were the first ones to instead practice a new policy created out of greed, that I will call Corporate Welfare. I did not create the term Corporate Welfare, which means privatize the profits but socialize the deficits. This occurred when Wall Street declared that they were broke and went to then President Bush and requested immediate funds. "We The People" have been footing the bill for a humongous amount of debt created by Wall Street.( http://sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/news/?id=9e2a4ea8-6e73-4be2-a753-62060dcbb3c3 )Has anyone heard any thank you from Wall Street or seen any attempt of repayment to "We The People" for 16 Trillion Dollars? If Wall Street felt any sort of Patriotism, they would have started a reasonable repayment plan.
The attitude that is prevalent among Wall Street and the major Corporations owned by the rich, is they deserve even more money via tax breaks. Do not believe me...check it out for yourselves on the internet or the news. These companies make no qualms about their lack of patriotism. They have numerous lobbyists that frequent Congress and provide Congressional members with proposed legislation that they desire for their own benefit. This legislation for the most part, opens doors that benefit only Corporations not the United States. Check out all of your Congressional members that are in ALEC ( http://alecexposed.org/wiki/ALEC_Exposed ). (P.S. please pass on this information about ALEC to all you know). You just might be shocked to find one or two of your own supposed Representatives belong to this organization that condones pushing legislation(actually ALEC gives full written legislation to Representatives) that weakens the United States.
Our supposed elected representatives are to listen to our wishes. Ah, but lack of Patriotism is a profound and fast spreading entity. It spreads like a viral infection and has infected those very ones that are supposed to love this country and demonstrate it via service. Sadly they have filled the void, that their once patriotic feelings had been, with greed and they have a never ending lust for more. This greed leads to power and these people desire power most of all. Thus, when lobbyists come calling with large donations who are they going to listen to? You the Constituent or Corporate lobbyists with all that money? Take a guess...it is not hard to see where the road leads.
All of this caused by a lack of true Patriotism and numerous other negative effects that occurred as well. Ever wonder why at times it seems that our Federal Government just cannot get things done in an orderly and speedy fashion? Sure you have, we all have. It is easy to pass it off to "The old Government is too big", as some do, or "If it can be messed up, Government will find a way". In actuality, what has been going on for years is the Corporations have been stuffing the Government with its own saboteurs. The Corporations have pushed for numerous appointments in ALL areas of the Federal Government. You name it they are in it. Their role is not to help the Federal Government function as it should, but to bring it to its knees. Look at how well this plan has worked.
To all of those that are listed above and have replaced their patriotism with the never ending lust for money and the power it brings. Your lack of patriotism has blinded all of you into a false sense of complacency. You are no longer hiding what you have been doing for years as before. You are boldly out in the open pushing all of your Corporate backed legislation. You are publicly announcing all over the United States your desire to take away the right to vote. That right is guaranteed to all of us by the Constitution. We The People have lost ENOUGH! You are underestimating us. You have pushed us far enough. Those of us that truly love this country are serving you notice...continue this course of action and we will rise as a sweeping title wave and sweep the United States clean. Remember your history of this great country, and remember..."America love it or leave it!" That is the rally cry that all true Americans will use! As to when that will happen, it is in the hands of all of you listed above...you know who you are!
